


Fool's Game

by Kereng



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-04-16
Updated: 2003-04-16
Packaged: 2019-05-30 10:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15094592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kereng/pseuds/Kereng
Summary: A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of theWest Wing Fanfiction Central, a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in theannouncement post.





	Fool's Game

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Fool's Game**

**by:** Kerry

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Category(s):** Humor, Romance   
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own `em.  
**Summary:** 6th in the Banter and Bets series  
**Author's Note:** This is the sequel to `"Bellowed Out", "Husky", "Cracked", "Revealed" and "Revenge" and you need to read them for this to make sense.  Many, many thanks for all the feedback for that fic; it's greatly appreciated. I should probably point out that the time-setting for this is Season 4, while Sam is on his leave of absence.

"Ah, Mr Lyman…or is it, Mr Moss?" the President grinned as Josh joined the rest of the Senior Staff in the Oval Office. 

"Excuse me?" Josh queried, his brow furrowed. 

"I have to say, Josh, I'm extremely disappointed that you didn't tell us in person," Leo chimed in. 

"What?"  Josh looked from Leo to the President.  "What are you talking about?"  Looking around at his colleagues, he noticed that neither CJ, Toby or Will appeared to confused by Leo's comment. 

"You know what we're talking about, Josh," the President stated.  "The Washington Post."  He gave Josh a look that showed he expected him to understand; however, Josh was more confused than ever. 

"The Post?  What about it?  What's going on?" Josh asked agitatedly. 

"You haven't read the paper today?" CJ asked with surprise. 

"No, I haven't had time; some of us have *work* to do.  We don't *all* get paid to read newspapers," he said somewhat obnoxiously. 

"Hey!" 

"Josh," Leo interrupted before CJ and Josh started arguing.  "Here, turn to page twenty," he instructed, passing Josh the copy of the Washington Post from the President's desk. 

Josh grabbed the paper and opened it out, struggling to turn to the relevant page.  The whole room knew when he had found it though, as he bellowed, "What the hell is this?!" 

"What does it look like?" CJ asked sarcastically. 

"Are we to assume that you're not responsible for it then, Josh?" the President inquired. 

"Of course I'm not!  You don't…you don't really think *I* put this in here, do you?" Josh asked incredulously. 

"No, Josh, we don't," Leo laughed.  "We never thought that, for three reasons."  Josh stared at everyone quizzically and waited for Leo to explain.  "Firstly, you would never just announce it in the paper without telling us first; secondly, I'd lay bets that you would never do what this claims you have, not at the moment anyway, and thirdly, have you realized what today's date is, Josh?" 

Josh's eyes scanned the top of the page and read the date.  "The first of April," he read aloud.  "April Fool's Day!"  He groaned as he realized why the notice was in the paper, but his mind was buzzing trying to figure out who was responsible.  While he considered the options, he decided to weigh in on the reasons why it couldn't be true.  "There's a fourth reason you shouldn't have believed it," he told everyone. 

"What?"  CJ voiced everyone's confusion at Josh's statement. 

"If I was going to announce my engagement to Donna, I would have written it better than this," he declared. 

"What do you mean?" the President asked. 

"Well, this," he said, looking at the paper, "simply says `Joshua Lyman, Deputy White House Chief of Staff, is pleased to announce his engagement to Donnatella Moss, Senior Assistant to the White House Deputy Chief of Strategic Planning.'  I would never have written it like that." 

"So, you've given this some thought, have you, Josh?  What would *you* write?" CJ smirked. 

Josh ignored the question and asked one of his own.  "Who is responsible for putting this in here?" 

"Josh?" 

"Oh, come on, Leo.  I know it had to have come from someone in here.  My money's on CJ," he announced. 

"Me?" CJ queried with innocent surprise.  "What makes you think it was me?" 

"Call it intuition." 

"Josh," she gasped.  "You know Leo told us to stop playing pranks on each other about two months ago.  Do you honestly think I would disobey him?" 

"Hmm," he murmured, looking at her intently for a few moments.  He turned around to look at Toby and Will, but he knew they had also been warned to stop the pranks.  He grinned to himself as he remembered the day of the `final straw' for Leo. 

  
*Flashback* 

Toby, Josh, Donna and Leo were gathered in the press briefing room, helping CJ to prepare for the briefing about the FEC passing through restrictions on Soft Money.  Unknown to CJ, Toby had placed a remote-  
controlled plastic snake at the base of the podium before she had arrived; she hadn't noticed it when she walked to the podium as Toby had kept her talking.  She probably wouldn't have noticed it had Toby not instructed Will to control the snake from outside the press room and try to get it to crawl up CJ's leg.  She felt the movement as she was answering one of Josh's `mock' questions and, when she looked down and saw the snake, she let out a shriek so loud that it brought some Secret Service Agents running into the press room. 

When CJ calmed down, she noticed that Toby was laughing heartily and praising Will for a job well done.  He admitted that it was his revenge for CJ convincing him to believe the story about Josh and Donna going to Las Vegas to get married when, in fact, they were playing a prank and going to Vermont. 

Leo had reprimanded all of them, furious at the Secret Service being dragged into things, and told them all that the pranks had to stop or they would face the consequences…compulsory attendance, on behalf of the White House, at every fundraiser, function and event that Leo could find. 

*End of Flashback* 

  
Josh snapped out of his reverie as he felt CJ staring at him.  "Okay, well, if it wasn't any of you who did this," he said, waving from CJ to Toby and then to Will, "that means…Leo?" 

"Josh!" Leo said sternly.  Josh gulped and his gaze traveled to the President.  He thought better of making that accusation and remained silent. 

"Well, who was it?" Josh demanded.  Toby started to chuckle and Josh whirled around to face him.  "Toby?  It was you?" he accused. 

"No," Toby replied, still smiling. 

"So, what are you laughing about?" Josh asked suspiciously. 

"It wasn't me, and I don't know for sure who it was," Toby explained, "it's just…I have an idea who it *might* have been." 

"What?  Who?" 

"Donna." 

"What?!" Josh exclaimed incredulously.  "Why the hell would you think *that*?" 

"Maybe it's her way of trapping you," Toby shrugged.  "You know, announce your engagement, everyone believes it, and then you have to go through with it to save face." 

"Uh uh, no way!  Donna wouldn't do this," Josh stated adamantly. 

"Are you sure, Josh?" Leo questioned. 

"Of course I'm sure!  Donna wouldn't do this!"  Josh looked around for a moment and then narrowed his eyes.  "Wait…you're all trying to get me off track, aren't you?" he accused.  "There's no way Donna's involved in this, she—" 

"You didn't realize she was involved in the `Sindy' prank either, until the very end, Josh.  She's good, you'd never know," CJ interrupted to point out. 

"Stop it," Josh stated firmly.  "It wasn't Donna.  One of *you* did this," he insisted, looking at each of them again.  "It's an April Fool's joke.  What I don't get though," he continued, "is why the person responsible won't own up to it; it's not much of a prank if you can't even claim responsibility."  He'd hoped that would be enough to make one of them admit their involvement but, it wasn't.  "One of you did this."  He looked at CJ again.  "My money's still on you, CJ," he told her.  "I just need to prove it, and I will." 

"Well, Josh, you can play at being Sherlock Holmes later on," Leo said.  "Right now, we've wasted enough time on this.  Let's get this meeting over with." 

* 

"Oh, Josh, thank God you're back," Donna said as Josh entered his office and slammed the door, only to find Donna sitting in his chair behind the desk.  She picked up the paper from the desk.  "You have to read—" 

"I've seen it," he interjected.  "It's a joke, Donna." 

"I know that," she smiled.  "It's April Fool's Day.  Have you any idea who did this though?" 

"CJ." 

"CJ?  Really?  She admitted it?" 

"No, she wouldn't admit it but, I know it was her," Josh replied as he motioned for Donna to leave his seat so that he could sit down. 

"How do you know?" 

Josh gave her an incredulous look.  "Donna, who else would it be?" 

"But, *why* would it be, CJ?" 

"To get back at us for the wedding prank." 

"Josh, she *already* got back at us for that.  Remember the whole `Sam hired a Republican assistant' thing?" 

"No, she got back at *me* with that but, you were in on that, you helped her; she still needs to pay you back." 

"She wouldn't do this, Josh," Donna insisted, defending her friend. 

"Yeah, she would.  Donna, CJ's the Press Secretary, it would be very easy for her to call up a Post reporter, Danny for instance, and get him to print this notice without checking for confirmation of the story first." 

"But, wouldn't she admit it…when you accused her?" 

"Obviously not." 

"But, she's gonna get questions on this, Josh.  If it *was* her, she's created a whole lot of extra work for herself." 

"Not really, Donna.  Everyone will know it was a joke, it's April Fool's Day after all." 

"Not everyone," she said softly. 

"Huh?"  He looked at her curiously as she sat in a visitor's chair across from him.  "What do you mean?" 

"The only reason I knew to read the paper was because people kept coming up to me and offering me their congratulations.  I didn't know what was going on until Bonnie told me to check out the Post." 

"What people?" 

"Just…people.  You know, some staffers, other assistants…people." 

Josh let out a long sigh and scrubbed a hand over his face.  "Okay, look, we're gonna let CJ handle this, okay?  Neither of us are going to comment.  All my meetings are here, in the White House today and I doubt anyone coming here to meet with me will mention it, they'll be too busy worrying about how they're going to get round me to get their way." 

"But what about people who call?  What am I supposed to say?" Donna asked. 

"Just tell them to look at the date on the paper," he replied gently.  "It'll be okay, Donna," he assured her, stretching his hand across the desk and giving her hand a squeeze. 

* 

"How's the morning been?" Josh asked as he and Donna ate lunch in his office.  "Any more questions about the notice?" 

"Surprisingly, no…but, it's been a busy morning, I guess no-one had time to mention it.  How about you?" 

"Only Sam." 

"Sam?" 

"Yeah, he called earlier, when you were at the OEOB.  He said the story's all round the Hill." 

"Really?" Donna groaned. 

"Yeah but, he says no-one's making a big deal out of it…not even the Republicans.  Apparently, they all thought it would be on the cards sooner or later, since we've now moved in together and all." 

"Can you believe we've been living together for a month now?" Donna asked wistfully. 

Josh smiled warmly.  "I can't believe we've *only* been living together for a month; I still can't believe you held out on me that long.  We could have been living together for *two* months," he whined. 

"Josh," she admonished.  "Stop complaining, you've got what you wanted *now*." 

"Yeah," he said softly, looking into her eyes. 

"So, have you found any proof that it was CJ?" 

"No, not yet…but, I will," he vowed.  "I'm gonna try and talk to Danny this afternoon, if I get a chance between meetings." 

"You really think Danny would rat out CJ?" she asked dubiously. 

"If I give him something in return, yeah." 

"I don't want to know, do I?" 

"It's probably safer if you don't," he grinned.  "Hey, how were CJ's briefings?  I've been in meetings all morning…did she get any questions about us?" 

"I don't know; I've been at the OEOB most of the morning, looking for those files you need for the next round of talks on the Hill.  Why don't you ask her?" 

"Nah, she won't give me a straight answer.  Try and get the tapes this afternoon and have a look through them; it'll be easier than trying to find out from anyone else." 

"I'll try but, I have to go back over to the OEOB." 

"Just do your best." 

* 

"What a day!" Donna exclaimed as she and Josh walked from his car to the restaurant. 

"Tell me about it, mine was full of endless meetings." 

"And mine was full of endless files." 

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," he said, briefly squeezing her hand a little tighter.  "I shouldn't need you to do that again for a while; I know how much you hate that file room." 

"It's okay, I have the filing system sorted out now," she smiled.  "But, I still don't want to spend any more time there," she added, causing Josh to give her a dimpled grin. 

"Hey, I'm taking you out to dinner to make up for it, aren't I?" 

"Yeah, I guess you are.  You know I'm gonna order the most expensive thing on the menu though, right?" 

"I never doubted that for a moment," he told her through a smile.  "But, I should point out that…uh…I'm gonna pay for it from our joint bank account." 

"Hey!"  She swatted his arm with her free hand.  "So, you're not really taking me out to dinner, technically, *I'm* taking me out to dinner?" 

"Nah, I'm taking you and you're taking me, it's an equal partnership," he grinned.  "Hey, hang on a minute," he said, dropping her hand and stopping on the sidewalk. 

"What?" she asked, looking back at him. 

"My mom didn't call today, did she?" 

"No," Donna replied with a furrowed brow.  "I would have told you if she had.  Why?" 

"Well, I just…I figured she'd call to ask about the thing in the paper." 

"She'd know it was a joke, Josh." 

"Yeah, but you know what she's like; she'd have called to laugh about it.  Since she didn't, she couldn't have seen it."  He walked over to the newsstand he had spotted and picked up a copy of the Washington Post, handing the money to the attendant. 

"Um, Josh…you know we have a copy of that in the office, right?" 

"I threw it out," he admitted.  "I just want one to send to mom." 

"Okay," Donna said, looking at him strangely. 

They started their walk to the restaurant again as Josh flipped through the paper, intending just to rip out the notice and throw the rest of the paper away, rather than carrying it around all night. 

"It's not here." 

"What?" 

"It's not here," he repeated. 

"What's not there?" 

"The notice.  It was page twenty, right?" 

"Yeah, I think so." 

Josh showed her page twenty of the paper; there were no engagement notices. 

"Maybe it's on a different page, "Donna suggested.  "It's probably a later edition." 

"No, it's nowhere," Josh said a minute later, after he'd looked through every page. 

"Maybe CJ made them take it out of that edition, when she realized people were believing it." 

"Yeah, maybe," he agreed slowly.  "Hey, did you get a chance to look at the briefing tapes?" 

"No.  They're on my desk but I didn't have time to look through them." 

"Hmm.  Okay, gimme a sec." 

Josh walked back to the newsstand and asked for a copy of the morning edition of the Post.  Luckily, the excess papers didn't get returned until the end of the day, so there were still a few copies available.  He walked back to Donna, arriving beside her just as he found page twenty. 

"I don't believe it!" he exclaimed. 

"What?" Donna asked, looking at the page Josh held out to her. 

"It's not here either; this is the same edition of the paper that we both saw but, it's not here." 

"What does that mean?" she asked, totally confused. 

"Think about it," he told her, as he pulled out his cellphone and snapped it open to punch a speed dial number.  "How did you do it, CJ?" he asked as soon as CJ's voice answered him. 

"Do what?" 

"I'm standing here, right now, with a copy of this morning's Post, which I just bought from a newsstand.  Funnily enough though, there are *no* engagement notices in it, never mind one about myself and Donna." 

"Really?" CJ asked innocently. 

"CJ.  How did you do it?" 

"Do what?" 

"CJ!"  Donna was now standing beside him, trying to listen to CJ's end of the conversation.  Josh wrapped an arm around her, pulled her tight to him and held the cellphone earpiece between them.  "I knew there was a reason Danny was avoiding me this afternoon, "Josh continued. 

"Danny?  You think Danny was responsible for the notice?" 

"No, CJ, I think *you* were responsible but, I think Danny helped; you couldn't have done this on your own." 

"Done what?" she repeated. 

"Oh, I dunno…lemme think," Josh said dryly.  "How about you got Danny to arrange for some fake copies of the Post to be printed during the night, copies which included the engagement notice for Donna and I?  You then gave those copies to a few members of staff, priming them to drop comments to Donna and myself.  Then…I think you must have got Sam involved in this, arranged for him to call me and tell me it was all round the Hill.  Am I right so far, CJ?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about, Josh." 

"Sure you don't.  Well, let me just say this, CJ…" he trailed off and Donna looked at him curiously. 

"Josh?" CJ prompted. 

"Congratulations, CJ," he smiled.  "It was a prank so good that it could even have come from the stable of Josh Lyman." 

"Why thank you, Joshua." 

"So, you're finally admitting it was you?" 

"When you've given me praise like that?  Of course I am.  Are you and Donna still going to dinner?" 

"Yeah." 

"Well, enjoy yourselves.  Goodnight, Josh." 

"Goodnight."  He snapped the phone shut and replaced it in his pocket.  "Let's go eat," he said as he turned to face Donna. 

* 

"Josh?" 

"Hmm?" 

They were lying side-by-side in bed, having headed straight there when they returned from dinner, both too tired for anything else. 

"What are we going to do now?" 

"What?"  Josh put down the book he was reading and turned to give Donna his full attention. 

"Well, I just have this funny feeling that you've changed your mind about the way you want to tell everyone." 

Josh grinned at her evilly.  "I'm that transparent, huh?" 

"Only to me.  So, what are you planning?" 

"Well, actually, Leo put the idea in my head." 

"Leo?" 

"Yeah, he said that I'd never just reveal it in the paper, without telling them all first." 

"And?" Donna prompted when he didn't continue. 

"I think that's how we *should* tell them." 

"What?  Josh, we can't do that," Donna protested. 

"Why not?" 

"Well, for a start, your mom would kill us, as would my parents." 

"No, you're not following me," he informed her, taking her hands to stop her waving them around for emphasis.  "We'll tell our parents tomorrow, like we always planned to; we've kept it just between us for a week, had a chance to celebrate ourselves, I don't see any reason to change that part of the plan." 

"So, what *are* you suggesting?" 

"We tell our families tomorrow but, we ask them to keep quiet about it for a few days.  Then, on Friday, there will be a notice in the Washington Post, announcing our *real* engagement.  Friday's `take out the trash day' so CJ shouldn't have too much else on, she'll have plenty of time for questions about us then…she just won't have time to prepare as she'll only know about it when she opens the paper first thing in the morning." 

"You really are the *Master*, aren't you?" Donna grinned. 

"Damn straight!" 

"Does that mean I can't wear my ring until Friday?" she asked a little sadly. 

Josh took her hands again and looked intensely into her eyes.  "Donna, there's nothing I want more right now than to see you wearing the ring declaring that you're going to be my wife.  If you want to start wearing it now, that's fine by me.  No prank is worth more than you," he said seriously. 

"Nah," she grinned.  "I can wait; after all, I'm going to be wearing the ring for the rest of my life, what's another few days?  Especially when we can get back at CJ again." 

"Yet another reason why I love you," Josh grinned, "you're on the same `devious' wavelength as me." 

* 

"Hey, Danny?" Josh called out as the reporter passed his office, late on the Thursday night. 

"Josh?" Danny queried, sticking his head around Josh's office door. 

"It's alright, Danny, you can come in; I know you were involved in the whole April Fool's thing, but, I'm not going to punish you." 

"You're not," Danny asked skeptically, closing the door at Josh's instruction and taking a seat in the visitor's chair. 

"Nope, I'm gonna get you to help me with my revenge though." 

"Against CJ?  Uh, Josh, I *really* don't think that would be a good idea." 

"What, for you to be involved, or for revenge in general?" 

"Both." 

"Well, I'm gonna do this anyway, I just thought you might like a bit of an exclusive." 

Danny's eyes lit up as he raised his eyebrows.  "What do you have planned?" 

"I need you put this in tomorrow's edition," he replied, passing Danny a piece of paper.  "It needs to be kept quiet until then." 

Danny read the contents of the paper and looked up at Josh, with shock on his face.  "This is true?" 

"Of course it is, Danny.  You didn't think we'd get engaged?" 

"No, I knew you would, anyone can see how good you are together.  To be honest though, I didn't expect you to get engaged so soon.  Anyway, I meant, you've actually been engaged since March 26th?  Since before CJ put the notice in the paper for April Fool's?" 

"We're not gonna get married right away," Josh said.  "But, only because we need time to plan things.  We didn't see the point in waiting though; we've lost enough time already.  As for being engaged for a week, that's why that notice says `CJ Cregg is psychic'," he grinned. 

"She's gonna be pissed," Danny told him. 

"Yeah, I know," he smirked. 

"I'll take care of it," Danny assured him, just as Donna entered the office. 

"Hey, Danny." 

"Hi, Donna."  Danny stood up and gave Donna a kiss on the cheek.  "Congratulations." 

"Thanks," Donna said with a blush. 

"Remind me to be wearing earplugs tomorrow morning when CJ reads the paper," Danny grinned as he left the office. 

"You sure about this?" Donna questioned Josh as he reached out for her, pulling her down into his lap. 

"What?  The notice in the paper or the engagement?" 

"Both." 

"I'm 100% positive about both," he replied as he gave her a lingering kiss. 

  
The End 

  
Okay, I have an idea for one more part but, after that, I think I'm done.  Although, if any of you have particularly devious minds, feel free to send me ideas. :-) 

I'm also wondering whether I should include CJ's reaction to the `real engagement' notice in the next part – let me know your thoughts. 

Sequel: "Notice"


End file.
